Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-05-20

Jack at once, and he actually felt the
marrow in his bones frizzle under the
glare of her vindictive eye AS set-off
to his torture, it was bliss to watch for a
certain graceful figure in white, walking
down the stately avenue of oaks, and to
Jack the ordinary band of musicians
seemed heavenly choir when pretty
Margery deigned to lend a dainty pink
ear. Another pretty woman in half
mourning, presumably the baby's mamma,
was usually to be seen with Margery now,
and the gorgeous nursemaid and baby
were left more to each others society.
Jack ardently wished for nearer inter
course with his charmer than from the
width of the promenade, or from one
coffee-table to its fellow under the next
protecting oak. To other eyes she too k
apparently little notice of him, but she
always managed to let him know that
she was aware of his presence. He had
CLEANED what satisfaction he could in
reading each day in The Strangers
List the names: "Mrs, Truman,
infant and nurse, and Miss Bayre,
Hotel Klumpp." But this was
short step towards acquaintance,
and each day Jack awoke with the haunt
ing dread that Margery would leave
Wildbad and be lost to him for ever.
One morning, over his coffee, he read in
the San Francisco Argonaut the follow
ing paragraph:
IAN English gentleman, sir James N,
was walking recently in the park of La
| Granja, near Madrid, when he sat down on a
hnnRh IN rnct mt tIxro hon aotfi
nurse, carrying an infant came and seated
herself near him. The child at once fixed
its eyes on the bright silver knob of the stick
the EngliShman was carrying, and stretched
out its arms for it. The stranger abandoned
the coveted object to the child to play with;
but when, quarter of an hour later,
he wished to resume his walk the in
fant refused to give up the stick, and
screamed with rage when the nurse attemp-
ted to take it from him The gentleman was
| obliged to leave without his cane, but gave
his card tothe nurse to return it. In the
evening domestic from the Court brought
the stick back to Sir James N, with let
ter from Queen Maria Christiana, thanking
him for the pleasure he had caused her son.
Sir James had made the acquaintance of the
future King of Spain"
Jack read this paragraph carefully
twice, and sat for five minutes in deep
reflection. Then, like man inspired,
he arose and betook himself to a quarter
of the village where he had frequently
noticed a bric-a-brac shop under the
management of Herr Isaacssohn by name.
Here, after deliberation, he selected a
walking-stick with a gold knob of curl
GUS antique workmanship, paying for it
an extortionate price, of which he must
ha folt ouborna1 in onn1 pa11t
afterward He then returned to his
hotel, and to the surprise of even the
stolid German waiter, ordered another
breakfast with the addition of honey,
dainty which he had hitherto refused with
scorn He barely slipped the second re-
lay of coffee, and then when no eye was
upon him, he furtively dipped the gold
knob of his cane in the honey, half dry
ing it with his silk handkerchief, so that
the sticky substance might not be too
noticeable to casual glance. He then
proceeded to certain pagoda overlook
ing the tumbling, fussy little river where
Mrs. Truman's baby and nurse were wont
to tarry at that hour. From afar Jack
caught the glitter of the Venetian
woman's silver nimbus; and the glow of
her car yibbons, bright crimson this
time, made warm dash of color in the
landscape The baby seemed particu-
larly affable, and Jack, though in the
bottom of his heart profoundly indifer-
ent to all humanity at the tender, angelic
stage, sat down beside and began to
beam upon this infant with ahypocritical
smile, holding his new stick in tempting
prominence.
Joy unspeakable, the bait took! The
serious infantile eye frightened, the
cherubic fists clutched the cane and con-
1 veyed the bright knob to the ever-recep-
tive mouth, where it was engulfed with
moist gurgle of delight No need for
fear that the scion of the house of Tru-
man would relinquish without struggle
that seductive aggregate of glittering gold
knob and honey. Jack made disgrace
fully feeble effort TO regain his property,
but the baby defeated him with one in
articulate snort and reproachful roll of
his solemn blue eyes. With depreci-
ating shrug of the shoulders, this finished
hypocrite left the infant Truman in tri-
umphant possession of the stick, and
withdrew, giving card with his address
to the be-ribboned nurse, and murmuring
some indistinct jumble about the hap
piest moments of his life being when he
found himself able to contribute to the
amusement of so charming child
He went home in blissful anticipation
for the result; perhaps Mrs. Truman
would be indisposed to write, and q
sweetly worded note of thanks for his
amiability would come from Miss Margery
instead-or, delicious possibility the
ladies might express their ac<nowledg
ments in words, when next they all met
on the promenade. At any rate, the ice
would be broken, and Jack already saw
himself invited to the coffee-table of an
afternoon, instead of sitting in his usua
bachelor solitude.
The next morning note was brought
to him, which he tore open eagerly, and
read:
"Mr Aiken is requested to claim his prop
erty at Room No. AZ, Hotel Klumpp, at clever
o'clock this morning"
There was no name signed, and Jack
was vaguely disappointed at the terseness
of the composition; still, the invitation
was an honor, and dressing with
great care, Jack presented himself at the
hotel at the appointed hour He was
shown into No. AZ, and to his amazement
found himself face to face with Miss
Trott, his enemy of the Konigsstuhl
Too taken aback to defend himself, he
stood meek as a lamb, while the lady
more irate than ever, overwhelmed him
with a volley of abuse. AS the storm
subsidized and she grew little calmer, she
began:
"Now, sir, you will please explain tc
me how my brothers gold-headed stick,